341 meeting, need some support

[ohwell]

Oh boy our 341 is Thursday and I am a nervous wreck. I read the list of questions, and I am getting so anxious. I just want a new start for our family. We have to bring our baby with us too, we have no family where we live and no friends to help us. I am soo nervous everybody. Everything hopefully looks good on paper, but I have that "they will think I am a liar" type feeling right now. I keep reading posts to make myself feel better, but I am just dreading this. I feel like they will think I am being sneaky or something, plus I am so nervous that I will blank out when they ask me questions(my memory is so shot after having my baby and all this stress of losing our home, having to move, etc. etc.). My husband is like "answer them as best as you can", but I just don't want to look strange or off to these people. We are meeting with the US trustee office and have gone over there already to feel out where to go(due to the baby who knows what may happen LOL). Do I wear just my wedding band? I am just a mess people. Help! I feel like I will be either stoic at the 341, nervous and upset, or just look stupid.

[PaKettle]

Oh boy our 341 is Thursday and I am a nervous wreck. I read the list of questions, and I am getting so anxious. I just want a new start for our family. We have to bring our baby with us too, we have no family where we live and no friends to help us. I am soo nervous everybody. Everything hopefully looks good on paper, but I have that "they will think I am a liar" type feeling right now. I keep reading posts to make myself feel better, but I am just dreading this. I feel like they will think I am being sneaky or something, plus I am so nervous that I will blank out when they ask me questions(my memory is so shot after having my baby and all this stress of losing our home, having to move, etc. etc.). My husband is like "answer them as best as you can", but I just don't want to look strange or off to these people. We are meeting with the US trustee office and have gone over there already to feel out where to go(due to the baby who knows what may happen LOL). Do I wear just my wedding band? I am just a mess people. Help! I feel like I will be either stoic at the 341, nervous and upset, or just look stupid.

I can understand your being nervous, lawyers, judges, etc. make a lot of people nervous.

Remember, you are not really "on trial" at the 341. The trustee mostly is just looking over your paperwork, asking you some of the same stuff that is already on the papers, and if there are any discrepancies on the paperwork he will want to clarify those. Really it's no big deal, AND 98% of the time it's just 1-3 minutes and it's over.

So it's not worth all the stress.

Try to not think about it. Keep yourself busy with distracting things, do exercise, go see a movie, play a game, whatever - just try not to allow yourself to think about it because it won't do any good to worry about it.

My wife is like you, she is worse than me, she gets soooo nervous if she has to meet in front of ANYone, let along a trustee or creditors. And I"m not all that much better. So I understand that it's stressful, but just remember that chances are it's going to be just fine.

Don't worry about how you look or act, so much. They know people are naturally nervous in court and as long as your paperwork is in order, there's nothing to worry about. If you do get overly nervous or upset, just tell them the truth, this kind of thing stresses you out. No big deal. They can't dismiss your case because you are stressed out! ;)

Write us back after it's over to tell us how easy it was!

[Boscoe]

Oh well - relax and everything will be fine.

Bringing a baby is not ideal, but people do it for the same reasons that you are - no one to help take care of the baby. Your attorney will be there and just answer the questions truthfully and you should be fine. They do not usually take more than 10 minutes.

Just answer the questions and don't add to your answers, i.e. answer more than what they are asking. One question that might come up is "when did you know you had to file?" Be ready with a date, i.e. "July" or something. He may want to see if you were still using your credit cards after this time...

It will be over before you know it and then it will be 60 days until discharge..........

[guzzie]

you'll be ok.....no sweat.....good luck....guzzie

[Cassiopeia]

Wonderful response, PaKettle!

Really, the 341 is a blip in your quest for the "fresh start." It is SO SO SO SO SO simple (in the vast majority of cases).

Relax. Or try to.

I know when I came out of my 341 I was in seventh heaven. It was so easy....I felt like a huge weight lifted.

Nothing to worry about! Best of luckto ya!

[rilbrianne]

They've already looked at your paperwork and the only thing they will ask you about is this:

1. Identification questions (address, names, where you work, how long you have lived in such and such county, etc. )

2. anything that they need to clarify from your paperwork, such as why did you make more money last year and all of a sudden there is almost no income??? (did you move and one of you makes less at a new job - might be your answer) There probably won't be anything for you to worry about.


It's very simple... very quick and there will be others in the room that are in the same boat. You'll do FINE!! HUGS, and good luck doll!

[JollyGG]

Do you have a lawyer.
If you do they will help guide you to the answer you are looking for so you won't blank out or answer something wrong.
Going about 1/2 hour early may also help to settle your nerves as you can hear how the 341 meeting before yours go, know what questions to expect, have time to ask your lawyer questions about any questions the trustee asks others that you don't understand, ect.
However, if you think the baby will get fussy if you are there too long don't worry about going early.
How old is the baby?

[WantToBeDebtFre]

They've already looked at your paperwork and the only thing they will ask you about is this:

1. Identification questions (address, names, where you work, how long you have lived in such and such county, etc. )

2. anything that they need to clarify from your paperwork, such as why did you make more money last year and all of a sudden there is almost no income??? (did you move and one of you makes less at a new job - might be your answer) There probably won't be anything for you to worry about.


It's very simple... very quick and there will be others in the room that are in the same boat. You'll do FINE!! HUGS, and good luck doll!

Hey rilbrianne. Your in the same county as me, Genesee County, right? Did the trustee ask you anything about an increase in income since filing, new job, etc? Or did he ask for more recent pay stubs?

[rilbrianne]

Hey rilbrianne. Your in the same county as me, Genesee County, right? Did the trustee ask you anything about an increase in income since filing, new job, etc? Or did he ask for more recent pay stubs?

I'm in Shiawassee county but I had to file in Genessee County....if that's what your asking...

He asked who works and where, you will have to tell him your working now or else you'd be lying. We had to send out most recent paycheck stubs within 7 days before our meeting. He will ask you if there are any changes - which your income would be one of them.

I have asked here if I should wait until BK is completely over or if I should get a job now (after my 341) and most said I don't have to wait til it's completely over but that I should definately wait until after the meeting to start a new job.

Hope that helps... Good luck, our trustee was firm but very nice.

[rilbrianne]

oops

[rilbrianne]

OOPS! I didn't look and just now realized you weren't the person who posted the thread, sorry about that! But yes, I filed in Genessee county.

[WantToBeDebtFre]

Thanks, rilbrianne. This is horrible timing. I'm glad to have a new job but now I feel like I'm at the point of no return...

[6ftladycop]

Relax, or at least try. Have everything organized that you think they might need or ask about. Go over paperwork before leaving once. Everything should be ok as long as you do not go there with the expectation of PERFECT. Nothing is perfect, but prepared always works. I was so glad I wrote down a few unexpected answers that most on this site had told me would not be asked, but low and behold they were. Have a few jotted down with answers. Never hurts.

[ohwell]

The 341 went well(see other thread), just now waiting(obsessing??) for the 60 days to go by quick!

I have read here that US trustees can do their damage after the hearing despite a "good" 341 hearing with the trustee, so not feeling as confident as I did when the meeting was over this morning, since anything can happen I guess... I am going to try not to check Pacer alot, but knowing myself I won't be able to help it LOL. Oh well.

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

[PaKettle]

Relax, or at least try. Have everything organized that you think they might need or ask about. Go over paperwork before leaving once. Everything should be ok as long as you do not go there with the expectation of PERFECT. Nothing is perfect, but prepared always works. I was so glad I wrote down a few unexpected answers that most on this site had told me would not be asked, but low and behold they were. Have a few jotted down with answers. Never hurts.

Please share what the questions were that you didn't expect to be asked but were.